Auto

Stewart, a two-time Cup champion, returns to Lowe’s this weekend looking for redemption and fresh off his first victory of the season — a dramatic one Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. His track record shows Stewart could very well make it two in a row.

One of the streakiest drivers in NASCAR, Stewart has a knack for grabbing momentum and turning it into multiple victory.

He won five of seven races during a stretch of his 2005 championship season, back-to-back events in late 2006 and three of four midway through last year.

Buoyed by the results from last month’s test at Lowe’s and a strong record at the Concord track, Stewart is looking forward to Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 more than any of the remaining six races. Qualifying Thursday night was canceled because of rain.

“We’ve had a lot of success at all these tracks coming up, but I think the way that we have ran the last three races at Charlotte, we’re pretty excited about it,” he said.

“I feel like we’ve got a shot at this weekend’s race. If we can do what we’ve been doing, we’ve got just as good a shot as anybody else.”

And that could be just what it takes to get Stewart back into the championship hunt. His victory at Talladega surged him four spots in the standings to seventh, but he’s still 203 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. It’s a deep hole to climb out of, but history is preventing Stewart from conceding just yet.

Stewart was third in the standings as the 1995 USAC Silver Crown Championship wound down, and he was only included in the title conversation because he was mathematically still in contention. When favorites Jack Hewitt and Dave Darland had problems in the final race, Stewart won the championship by two points.

“When you use that experience, knowing that as long as you’re mathematically in the hunt, you still have a shot,” he said. “I’ve always said, if you win races, the points will take care of itself. We could still by theory win the next six races in a row and still not win the point championship.

“For us it’s about going out and doing what we can do, and the other 11 drivers are going to dictate their fates, too.”

But making himself a factor in this race will require Stewart and his Joe Gibbs Racing team to not let his impending departure from the No. 20 car distract them over the final six weeks of the season.

Stewart is leaving JGR at the end of this year, his 10th with the team, to become an owner-driver for Stewart-Haas Racing. Crew chief Greg Zipadelli has admitted the impending move — and the buildup as Stewart made his decision to leave — have at times been a distraction.

Many have wondered whether Stewart, who has been busy hiring personnel and searching for sponsors, has been focused on winning races.

Temper, temper

Greg Biffle isn’t angry with teammate Carl Edwards for starting a 12-car crash at Talladega Superspeedway.

Neither is Matt Kenseth .

Kevin Harvick ? Not quite over it.

Witnesses said Edwards and Harvick were in a heated argument in the Nationwide Series garage at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Edwards apparently walked into Harvick’s garage stall, and the two engaged in a heated argument.

Harvick appeared to try to walk away, and witnesses said Edwards reached for his shoulder to turn him back around.

Harvick then shoved Edwards, who stumbled onto the hood of Harvick’s car, and the two had to be separated.

Harvick was unavailable for comment.

Edwards didn’t deny the two argued but wouldn’t discuss the incident.

“The deal with me and Harvick is between me and him and there’s nothing else to talk about,” he said.

“I’m not talking about that. That’s just what it is. We know where each other stand and that’s it.”

Although one photographer from CIA Stock Photography caught the moment, he refused to show the photos to the Associated Press.

Edwards triggered the late crash Sunday when he tried to push Biffle as the three Roush Fenway Racing cars raced for the lead. But his bumper hooked the corner of Biffle’s, sending Biffle into a slide directly into Kenseth.

Several championship contenders were caught in the melee, including Harvick, who had harsh words for Edwards and his strategy after the accident.